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☆ Berkshire Hathaway’s energy company is about to hit a major renewable energy milestone
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Tim Mullaney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

With annual meeting season coming soon, Warren Buffett's climate record is back in the news – and activists are still not happy. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate faces three different shareholder resolutions heading into its annual "Woodstock for capitalism" on May 6. Buffett's climate metrics getting betterBerkshire is a climate paradox: Many of its climate metrics are improving rapidly, if not as fast as some competitors. Berkshire Energy spokesman Brandon Zero said the company would have no comment. But it still uses more coal, the dirtiest major electricity fuel – coal represents 23% of Berkshire's power mix – more than the national average of 20%.

☆ These vulnerable major stocks could be activists' next targets, according to Goldman
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shareholder activism could continue its momentum this year, and a number of major companies could be popular targets, according to Goldman Sachs. "Sales growth has been the most important variable in determining an activist target, followed by EV/sales valuation." Goldman screened the Russell 3000 index for companies that may be susceptible to a campaign by an activist investor. Bath & Body Works could experience more action from activists this year, according to Goldman's screen. In the retail space, Goldman also predicts activists may target Best Buy , Burlington Stores and CarMax .

☆ Berkshire Hathaway’s utility company is about to hit a major renewable energy milestone
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Tim Mullaney | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

With annual meeting season coming soon, Warren Buffett's climate record is back in the news – and activists are still not happy. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate faces three different shareholder resolutions heading into its annual "Woodstock for capitalism" on May 6. Buffett's climate metrics getting betterBerkshire is a climate paradox: Many of its climate metrics are improving rapidly, if not as fast as some competitors. Any discussion of Berkshire and climate necessarily begin with its utility business, since electricity production accounts for a quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Berkshire Energy spokesman Brandon Zero said the company would have no comment.

☆ Ben and Jerry's is latest progressive company to be brought into the union debate as scoopers at its flagship store in Vermont move to unionize
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Employees at a Ben & Jerry's shop in Vermont are seeking to form a union. A Ben & Jerry's spokeswoman told Insider that "we recognize and support the rights of all workers to unionize and collectively bargain." Ben & Jerry's workers told the Washington Post that they decided to pursue a union after management took away the store's tip jar for the company's annual Free Cone Day. All 37 scoopers at the Burlington store have pledged support for the union, according to Scoopers United. The union effort is the latest test for Ben & Jerry's, which has cast itself as a socially conscious brand for decades.

☆ Ben & Jerry's workers in flagship Vermont store file for union election
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Natasha Piñon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Ben and Jerry's workers at the ice cream company's flagship store in Burlington, Vermont, are filing for a union election Monday. Workers at the Burlington store have petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for an election. That union, Workers United, has won union elections at hundreds of Starbucks locations across the country at a rapid pace. If the Burlington workers approve a unionization vote, their store would be the first Ben & Jerry's location in the U.S. to do so. Ben & Jerry's has even sued its parent company, Unilever , when its actions came into conflict with Ben & Jerry's stated social mission.

☆ A paper mill in Alabama told authorities a worker died from a heart attack. He actually died after being electrocuted by machinery, the labor department says.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A paper mill in Alabama told OSHA that a worker who was electrocuted actually died from a heart attack. The company's lawyer also asked the coroner's office to change the cause of death to heart attack, OSHA said. The department said that the company – South Coast Paper LLC – had "willfully" violated safety standards, including failing to implement procedures to protect employees performing maintenance on machinery. The plant's manager and the company's general manager, however, told an OSHA certified safety and health officer that the worker had died from electrocution, OSHA wrote. South Coast Paper did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside of regular working hours.

Etsy — The e-commerce company's shares rose 3.9% after Piper Sandler upgraded them to overweight from neutral. Virgin Orbit — The satellite launch company sank 14% in the premarket after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Tesla — Shares of the electric vehicle maker ticked up nearly 1% in premarket trading. Tesla stock declined 6.1% a day earlier, with investors seemingly responding to the company's vehicle delivery report from the weekend. The media company's shares have jumped 7.8% year to date.

☆ Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls: Apple, Amazon, Boeing, Chipotle, Rivian, Etsy, Exxon & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Here are Tuesday's biggest calls on Wall Street: Piper Sandler reiterates Apple as overweight Piper said iPhone share remains at near record levels for Apple. Bank of America reiterates Endeavor as buy Bank of America said it's bullish on Endeavor's plan to merge WWE and UFC. Piper Sandler upgrades Etsy to overweight from neutral Piper said it sees "continued share gains" for the e-commerce company. Deutsche Bank reiterates Citizens Financial and PNC as buy Deutsche said it's cautious on bank stocks overall, but that it likes Citizens and PNC as top picks. Bank of America reiterates Analog Devices as buy Bank of America said Analog Devices has "best-in-class" free-cash flow returns.

☆ Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the stock market Tuesday: ServiceNow bump, Dimon speaks, DHR cut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Baird upgrades software stock ServiceNow (NOW) to buy from hold, with a price target of $548, up from $475. Raises price target to $140 from $135. Barclays turns on life science tools and diagnostics sector, drops price target for Club favorite Danaher (DHR) to $270 from $290 and expects a "relatively light" first-quarter guide. Norfolk Southern (NSC) upgraded to hold from sell at Morgan Stanley with unchanged price target of $171. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade.

☆ Buy shares of this off-price retailer helping its customers fight inflation, Loop Capital says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

As macroeconomic uncertainties linger, Loop Capital says investors should consider adding this inflation-fighting retail stock to their portfolios. "We think persistent inflation is tough for Burlington's customers, and the improved values and brands in stores are likely to drive market share gains for the company," she wrote. BURL YTD mountain Burlington shares so far in 2023 So far this year, shares of Burlington Stores have gained 2%. But now, the tides have shifted, with Champine noting particularly strong inventory improvements among ladies apparel and premium brands. "Our March/April checks see mid-tier brands back in stock, robust inventory, and notably better values," she wrote.

☆ A long-dormant lake has reappeared in California, bringing havoc along with it
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Evan Bush | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

David Swanson | ReutersPeople have worked for a century to make California's Tulare Basin into a food grower's paradise. The Tulare Basin is at the southern end of California's San Joaquin Valley — and in essence, it's a massive bowl. Before irrigators dug canals and rerouted water for farming in the late 1800s, Tulare Lake filled the bowl's lower reaches. Today, the irrigation system is designed to "use every single drop of water" that flows into the basin, Mount said. Tulare Lake refilled in 1997 and 1983 during very wet seasons.

LONDON, April 4 (Reuters) - The problems around artisanal cobalt mining in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will take "a coalition to solve", according to Microsoft (MSFT.O). Yet the West still needs Congo's cobalt and everyone agrees that formalisation is the solution to the high human and economic costs of artisanal mining. ETHICAL DILEMMAThe ethical dilemma facing Western cobalt users, which is just about everyone with a mobile phone, is headline news again after the publication of "Cobalt Red" by Siddarth Kara. Mutoshi's artisanal miners have lost their collective pricing power and their cobalt is once again flowing down opaque channels into the industrial supply chain, the report claims. Most of the country's estimated 150,000-200,000 cobalt miners have never even had the chance of formalisation.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Lululemon, Paychex, Micron Technology and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Lululemon – Lululemon shares surged more than 16% before the Wednesday open after posting a strong holiday quarter and sharing upbeat guidance for the current fiscal year. The athleisure wear company reported adjusted earnings of $4.40 a share on $2.77 billion in revenue and said same-store sales climbed by 27%. Carnival Corp — Shares of the cruise line climbed 2.5% in premarket trading after Susquehanna upgraded Carnival to positive from neutral. Micron fiscal second quarter results missed analyst expectations on both the top and bottom lines, according to Refinitiv consensus estimates. Paychex Inc. — Shares of the payroll services company were up nearly 3% premarket ahead of fiscal third-quarter earnings due after the close on Wednesday.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Lululemon, Micron, Carnival, Foot Locker & more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Micron Technology — The semiconductor manufacturer added 5.3% after management said it was planning a bigger headcount reduction than previously expected. Carnival — Shares gained 3.6% after being upgraded by Susquehanna to positive from neutral. The move comes a day after the stock gained 6.1% following an upgrade by Wells Fargo to equal weight from underweight. Urban Outfitters , Burlington Stores , Foot Locker , Ross Stores — Shares of major retailers declined Wednesday after UBS downgraded the group to sell from neutral. Petco — Shares of the pet health and wellness company gained 5% after CEO & Chairman Ron Coughlin disclosed a 61,000 share purchase.

☆ Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the stock market Wednesday: Stock pop, retailers, AI caution
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

UBS shuffles retailers: Ross Stores (ROST) to sell; Burlington (BURL) to sell; Club name Foot Locker (FL) to sell. Apple Pay Later allows four payments over six weeks. Users can apply for Apple Pay Later loans of between $50 and $1,000. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade.

☆ Foot Locker is closing 400 stores. They may become an eyesore
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Foot Locker will close 400 stores by 2026 in malls. Anchor vacancies in malls hurt neighbors like Foot Locker and reduce traffic to their stores as well. Eventually, stores like Foot Locker go dark and it becomes harder for the mall to survive. Finding tenants for the 400 Foot Locker spaces will be challenging as big retailers look to stay away from weaker malls. Bed Bath & Beyond will be “much easier to fill than in-mall spaces.”So what happens to all the indoor malls with empty Foot Locker stores and other vacant spaces?

☆ Labcorp to pay $2.1 million to settle allegations it overbilled Defense Department for genetic tests for military members
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Laboratory Corporation of America will pay the U.S. $2.1 million to settle allegations that it overbilled the Department of Defense for genetic tests that involved children and fetuses, the Justice Department announced Monday. Hecker-Gross' allegations surrounded genetic tests performed under a contract LabCorp entered with the Defense Department in 2012. Hecker-Gross alleged that LabCorp overcharged and double or triple-billed DOD for genetic tests performed by GeneDx. There were $210,959 in overcharges on 38 tests, including $113,525.50 for 21 tests billed between March 2016 and January 2017 alone, the lawsuit alleged. In 1996, LabCorp agreed to pay $187 million for fraudulently billing the government for unnecessary tests on elderly patients.

☆ The banking crisis is doing Fed's work and creating a window for stocks to rally
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-26 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +19 min

Work from home has in part jacked up food prices, and the increase is about 14% above just last year. The only bank that looks like Silicon Valley Bank is First Republic Bank (FRC) because it, too, has suffered huge deposit withdrawals. Nike (NKE)said China orders were good, so did Club stock Starbucks (SBUX). As counterintuitive as it is, the banking row will give the 4.8% fed funds rate a chance to cool consumer spending. This gives stocks a window to advance until we begin earnings season with what will no doubt be a cautious banking sector.

Berkshire Hathaway vice president Gregory Abel bought nearly $25 million worth of Berkshire's class A stock last week, filings show. He previously bought $68 million worth of Berkshire stock in September. Berkshire's class A shares, and the "Baby Berkshire" class B shares, both have dropped about 3.4% this year, underperforming the S & P 500. Berkshire Hathaway vice chair Greg Abel bought $24.6 million worth of Berkshire's class A stock on March 17. Capri Holdings CEO John Idol bought nearly $10 million worth of stock on March 16.

☆ Bed Bath & Beyond is closing hundreds of stores. But they won’t be empty for long
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Bed Bath & Beyond is stripping down its big blue signs, clearing out aisles of linens and closing 400 stores as it tries to stave off bankruptcy. Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY)’s real estate is a precious, scarce resource for retailers, gyms and anyone else who needs ample space. “A lot of great real estate is going to come available into a market where there’s been no vacancies. “Bed Bath and Beyond sites are interesting to us, and we are exploring available opportunities with our franchisees,” a spokesperson told CNN. He also believes Bed Bath & Beyond may not be able to avoid bankruptcy or liquidation, which would lead to more vacancies.

☆ Bank of America: Buy these 22 stocks that will outperform as people look for ways to save in a recession that will push even high-income Americans to spend less
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Marley Jay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The firm has picked the stocks it thinks will win — and lose — as customers cut their spending. Bank of America thinks a recession is coming, despite the fact that the US economy is still holding up fairly well right now. "We see risks to higher-end exposed US stocks this year, in part due to an amplified wealth effect," Hall wrote. Hall thinks those could include winter clothing maker Canada Goose, home goods retailer Bed Bath & Beyond, electronics retailer Best Buy, and consumer products companies like Clorox and Kimberly-Clark. But the following 22 companies all have "Buy" ratings from Bank of America, and Hall expects them to benefit from the oncoming economic slump as high-earners cut back on spending.

☆ A perfect storm of food-stamp cuts and low tax refunds is looming — and discount chains like Dollar General and Big Lots could feel the pain
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Off-price retailers are worried that cuts to food stamps and smaller tax refunds will hurt sales. Tax refunds are also likely to be smaller because of the wind-down of some expanded tax credits. At the same time, certain beefed-up tax credits are no longer available, which means many taxpayers are preparing for smaller tax refunds this year. "At this point, 30% of that lower household income customer, their expenses today are greater than their income coming in. The 32 states that will wind down SNAP benefits this month join the 18 states that cut those benefits last year.

☆ A United flight was grounded after a passenger found a bomb threat note in the bathroom: reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A United Airlines flight was grounded for several hours in Vermont on Sunday. A local NBC affiliate obtained audio of the plane's pilot discussing an apparent bomb threat. The Burlington airport was closed during the search and reopened around 7:30 p.m. local time. "A flight attendant just came up and said that a passenger found a note in the aft lav that said there was a bomb on board," the pilot can be heard saying. A spokesperson for United referred Insider to Republic Airways, which was operating the regional flight.

☆ Discount chains Ross, T.J. Maxx, and Burlington are planning to add more than 300 new stores. Here's why major retailers should be nervous about their growing off-price rivals.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Avery Hartmans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Off-price chains are likely to get a boost in the months ahead as shoppers seek low prices. Ross Stores is planning to open 100 new locations this year, while T.J. Maxx plans 150 openings, and Burlington as many as 80. 2023 is looking like a strong year for off-price chains like Burlington Stores, Ross Stores and T.J. Maxx, as shoppers look to save money where they can. Off-price chains could benefit from retail closures and bankruptciesAs other retailers close swaths of stores nationwide, discounters are expanding. Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesAnalysts see a banner year ahead for BurlingtonBurlington may be the smallest of the major off-price retailers, but it's poised to have a big year.

☆ Despite East Palestine toxic train disaster, railroads still want single-person crews
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The rail safety legislation, introduced in Congress Wednesday with bipartisan support, would include a prohibition on single-person crews. There is no such existing law or federal regulation requiring both an engineer and a conductor to be on a train. The Association of American Railroads confirmed that its position in favor of one-person crews has not changed. “No data shows a two-person crew confined to a cab is safer, and train crew size should continue to be determined through collective bargaining,” a statement from UP. But it might have one or two provisions which are deal breakers for the unions, such as allowing single-person crews.

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